((The Best Ever)) Fish Tacos

Beauty-full remote commercial fishing village of Cordova, AK

Ever since spending the summer of 2004 in Cordova, Alaska, I have been making these fish tacos.  Not long after I arrived to this small, remote, and breathtakingly beautiful fishing village, I found a quaint little red school-bus-turned-kitchen, Baja Taco, that served up the best salmon and halibut tacos, ever.  After my first visit, I was hooked.

The owner lady got her supply of Copper River Salmon and Halibut from her husband who was a commercial fisherman.  Two small, but very filling, tacos were served up in this little red basket and you had your choice of fresh wild Sockeye or Silver Salmon, or Halibut.  The fish is beer-battered and wrapped up in a flour tortilla along with shredded cabbage, chipotle aioli, and pico de gallo…with a lime wedge of course.

Absolutely delicious, fresh, flavorful, and such a treat.  And so, ever since I’ve been making my own similar version of what I discovered there.  The only difference really is Panko bread crumbs.  Be sure to find some good quality fish, preferably salmon or halibut, and good fresh ingredients.

Fresh Salsa

Chipotle Aioli

Flour, egg, panko

Wild Alaskan Salmon and Halibut

All coated up

Pan-fried for crispy coating and tender fish

Great textures, flavors, and colors!

::Heather’s Fish Tacos::

About 1 lb. fresh wild salmon or halibut, skinned, trim off fat, de-bone if necessary, cut into fish stick size pieces
2 c. green or purple cabbage, shredded

make chipotle aioli:

1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. sour cream
1 chipotle pepper (from the canned chipotles in adobo)
juice of 1 lime
4 T. water
Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until combined and smooth.  Add the chipotle according to your taste and preference for heat.. they do add quite the kick.  Refridgerate until using.

make salsa:

2  big red tomatoes (organic/heirloom for best flavor), diced
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 jalepeno, minced (discard seeds if you don’t want it hot)
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1-2 lime(s)
big pinch of cilantro, chopped
dash of olive oil
s+p
Combine in a bowl, refrigerate til needed.

make/pan-fry fish sticks:

1/2 – 1 c. AP Flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 – 1 c. Panko Japanese bread crumbs
Set each ingredient in three seperate bowls, coat each fish fillet in the flour, then egg, then Panko.  Have a large skillet with about 1/2 to 3/4 c. oil (I use Canola/Vegetable/Olive Oil mix) heated to 350 deg. F., or til a pinch of bread crumbs dropped into oil sizzles and bubbles and floats, and doesn’t drop to the bottom.  Lay the fish fillets in the hot oil.  Cook until golden on each side yet still tender, about 3-5 min., depending on the thickness and size of fish sticks.  Lay onto a baking sheet/plate lined with paper towel.

Toast a flour tortilla in a skillet til a little crispy and golden, fill with fish stick(s), cabbage, aioli, and salsa.  Enjoy!

Cheers!

And if you’re family/friends love these as much as my hubby does, you’ll be getting hugs and kisses for the next week 🙂

Baked Salmon with Cucumber Dill Yogurt Sauce

Fish is one thing I love cooking up, and there’s so many different ways I like to make it.  I especially love salmon and halibut.  After spending two summers in Alaska catching and cooking up fish, I kind of got spoiled on the wild and freshly caught King, Silver, and Sockeye Salmon, and Halibut.  After living there even for a short period, you kind of become a ‘fish snob’ and get picky on the type of fish you eat.  The taste, texture, and color of farmed fish vs. wild fish is very noticeable, and wild just reigns supreme!

I just recently found some wild Copper River Sockeye Salmon and made this dish, served along with a salad, sauteed asparagus, and some of my homemade bread.  My husband and I loved it.

While eating he was saying, ‘I’m in heaven right now”, “I love you, I love your cooking”, and I even heard him say between bites, “You’re like a little miracle worker with food”.  So, since those kind of rave reviews came out of this salmon dish, I thought it’s definitely note-worthy and share-worthy.  Here is what I did…

::Recipe:: Baked Salmon with Cucumber Dill Yogurt Sauce

Make sauce:
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. sour cream
1/3 c. plain yogurt
1 small or 1/2 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
fresh dill, a big pinch for sauce and 2 T. chopped for garnish
fresh parsley, a big pinch for sauce and 2 T. chopped for garnish
s+p

Set all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Pour into bowl and refrigerate.

Bake Salmon:
1 lb. wild Salmon (preferably King, Silver, or Sockeye)
1 lemon, sliced

Skin the salmon, trim off fat, de-bone if needed, and cut into about 4 (~4-5 oz) fillets.  Set on a baking sheet lined with foil, season with salt and pepper, and lay 2 slices of lemon on each fillet.  Bake at 400 deg F for about 17-18 min.

Once removed from oven, discard lemon slices.  Dish up the salmon, top with the cool cucumber yogurt sauce, sprinkle on fresh herbs, and enjoy!

***

I really like the warm baked salmon with the cool refreshing sauce, but I’ve also made this with the sauce poured over the fillets and baked in with it (can leave off lemon slices).  It’s great that way too.  Either way, you have a simple, healthy, and SO delicious dinner that will leave you feeling great!

Oh and while I’m reminiscing back to my Alaska summers, here’s me with my 35 lb. King Salmon.  Oh how I can’t wait to go back there..

Cheers!  …And if you are inclined to make this dish, let me know how you like it!

🙂